OCTOBER 2026 | SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE I SEED WORLD EUROPE I 59 Seed Coating Technologies: A Strategic Enabler of Innovation in a Rapidly Evolving Industry PARTNER CONTENT BY CLARA VERNAY, SEED CARE CENTER MANAGER, AGRICULTURAL SPECIALTIES, SYENSQO S eed treatment is entering a new era. Regulatory changes, rising sustainability expectations, and the emergence of increasingly complex seed treatment technologies are reshaping the requirements for modern seed coating applications. As these challenges con verge, seed companies need innovative solutions that deliver both performance and sustainability. The seed treatment industry is pre paring for a major shift as Europe’s restric tion on intentionally added microplastics comes into force in 2028. Similar sustain ability-driven initiatives are emerging in other regions, while many global seed treatment companies are already adopt ing microplastic-free strategies world wide, regardless of local regulations. To help the industry anticipate this evolution, Syensqo has developed a com plete portfolio of microplastic-free seed coating solutions. The range includes more than a dozen products designed to address diverse crop types and appli cation requirements, from standard film coatings to encrusting technologies under the Peridiam® brand. The portfolio pro vides seed companies with the flexibility to transition to microplastic-free technol ogies across a wide range of crops and treatment processes while upholding the performance standards required by the industry. Beyond regulatory compliance, sus tainability is becoming a key driver for the seed treatment industry. Companies are under growing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining the coating performance, seed quality, and processability required by modern seed treatment operations. To support this evolution, Syensqo is embedding sustainability across its seed coating portfolio through responsible sourcing practices, reduced deforesta tion-related impacts, and the replace ment of selected substances of concern. As part of this effort, the company recently reviewed its cereal coating range to tran sition toward more sustainably sourced raw materials. Syensqo is also imple menting a Renewable Carbon Initiative metric, providing greater transparency on the renewable carbon content of its formulations and enabling customers to better assess the contribution of seed coating technologies to their sustainabil ity objectives. The introduction of new seed treat ment technologies is creating increas ingly complex formulation challenges. Novel insecticides and bird repellents often exhibit demanding physicochemical properties that can impact seed flowa bility, dust-off performance, and coating homogeneity if not properly managed. At the same time, the growing adoption of biological seed treatments based on microorganisms introduces an additional challenge: maintaining microbial viability throughout seed treatment, storage, and planting. To help customers successfully bring these innovations to market, Syensqo supports the development of optimized coating recipes tailored to the specific requirements of new active ingredients. Syensqo combines deep expertise in seed coating technologies with decades of experience in crop protection formula tion development and a broad portfolio of co-formulants. This unique combination enables the company to address compat ibility challenges and optimize the per formance of increasingly complex seed treatment formulations. For biological seed treatments, Syensqo offers Peridiam Active 319, the first generation of a technology specifi cally developed to extend the shelf life of microorganisms applied to seeds. The company continues to invest in new solu tions that will further facilitate the appli cation of biologicals on seed, supporting the transition toward more sustainable agricultural practices. As the seed treatment landscape continues to evolve, seed coating technol ogies are becoming a strategic enabler of innovation. By combining regulatory readiness, sustainability leadership, and formulation expertise, Syensqo is helping seed companies navigate today's chal lenges while preparing for the next gen eration of seed treatment solutions.
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